diff --git a/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/StructList.java b/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/StructList.java
index 5a6c336..99ed666 100644
--- a/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/StructList.java
+++ b/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/StructList.java
@@ -37,13 +37,12 @@ public final class StructList {
         }
 
         public final Builder<ElementBuilder> fromPointerBuilder(PointerBuilder builder, SegmentReader defaultSegment, int defaultOffset) {
-            throw new Error();
-            /*         return WireHelpers.getWritableStructListPointer(this,
-                                                            builder.pointer,
-                                                            builder.segment,
-                                                            FieldSize.POINTER,
-                                                            defaultSegment,
-                                                            defaultOffset,0); */
+                     return WireHelpers.getWritableStructListPointer(this,
+                                                                     builder.pointer,
+                                                                     builder.segment,
+                                                                     factory.structSize(),
+                                                                     defaultSegment,
+                                                                     defaultOffset);
         }
 
         public final Builder<ElementBuilder> initFromPointerBuilder(PointerBuilder builder,
diff --git a/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/WireHelpers.java b/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/WireHelpers.java
index cfb7c44..b015e61 100644
--- a/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/WireHelpers.java
+++ b/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/WireHelpers.java
@@ -296,6 +296,15 @@ final class WireHelpers {
         }
     }
 
+    static <T> T getWritableStructListPointer(FromPointerBuilder<T> factory,
+                                              int origRefOffset,
+                                              SegmentBuilder origSegment,
+                                              StructSize elementSize,
+                                              SegmentReader defaultSegment,
+                                              int defaultOffset) {
+        throw new Error("getWritableStructListPointer is unimplemented");
+    }
+
     // size is in bytes
     static Text.Builder initTextPointer(int refOffset,
                                         SegmentBuilder segment,
@@ -435,9 +444,11 @@ final class WireHelpers {
         long ref = WirePointer.get(segment.buffer, refOffset);
         if (WirePointer.isNull(ref)) {
             if (defaultSegment == null) {
-                throw new Error();//return new StructReader();
+                return factory.fromStructReader(SegmentReader.EMPTY, 0, 0, 0, (short) 0, (byte) 0, 0x7fffffff);
             } else {
-                return (new PointerReader(defaultSegment, defaultOffset, 0x7fffffff)).getStruct(factory);
+                segment = defaultSegment;
+                refOffset = defaultOffset;
+                ref = WirePointer.get(segment.buffer, refOffset);
             }
         }